Screen-door-opening device



(N0 Molglel.)

- G.v W. OOUGILL.

SCREEN DOOR OPENING DEVICE.

No. 560,478. Patented May 19, 1896.

Wz'Zne 6666. (5532237;

ANDREW EGRAHAMFNDTG-UMQWASHINGYONJC UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

GEORGEWVILEY COUGILL, OF HUMPHREYS, MISSOURI.

SCREEN-DOOR-OPENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 560,478, dated May 19,1896.

Application filed January 25, 1896. serial No. 576,861. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WILEY Cou- GILL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at I-Iumphreys, in the county of Sullivan, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inScreen-Door- Opening Devices; and Idohereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in door-opening devices, and isespecially applicable for use on screen-doors and the like.

The invention will first be described in'connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a screen-doorprovided with my improvement. the door. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailview of the bracket-arms and lever.

Referring to the drawings, A is a screendoor hinged to the door-casing Bby hinges a and normally held closed by a spring C, secured at one endto the inside of the door and at the other end to the casing.

To the side of the casing nearest the hinges a of the door is attached abracket-arm D,

formed of one casting and having a back d, which is approximatelytriangular and extends above and below the bracket-arm D, having twoslots (1 in its upper portion and one slot d in its lower portion, theback being secured to the door-casing by screws passing through theseslots, the said slots permitting a limited amount of adjustment of thebracket on the casing. The bracket-arm is provided with two integralbraces d connectin git to the back cl in order to stiffen said arm. Atthe front end of the arm is a table or plate at", which slopes forwardand downward at a slight incline and is provided at its center with anintegral stud 01 having a central bore or opening which is threaded. Atthe upper end of the hollow stud and on each side of the bore or openingare two notches, as shown at d. 'On top of the said table or plate (1 islocated a lever E, one end of which is longer than the other, the saidlever having a hole through which passes the stud (1 which serves as afulcrum for said lever.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through To hold the lever E from coming offits f ulcrum, a cap 6 is provided, this cap having two lugs e on itsunder side which enter the notch d in the hollow stud, and thus preventthe cap from rotating. To hold the cap 6 in place on the stud, a bolt orthumb-screw e is passed through the'cap and threaded into the bore oropening in the stud.

To the longer end of the lever E is attached one end of a cord or chainF, whose other end is secured to the outside of the screen-door in anysuitable manner. The other or shorter end of the lever E is connected toone end of a draft-cord G, which passes around a pulley H, secured tothe upper corner of the doorframe and thence down to a treadle or footpiece I, hinged to the door-frame by a hinge 'i, the said treadlenormally projecting about at right angles to the door-casing when thedoor is held closed by its spring and being arranged to swing down whenpressed by the foot, thereby drawing on the draft-cord G and causing thelever E to swing, so as to open the door. In this manner the door may bereadily opened by the foot by any person, which is convenient when thehands are otherwise employed, as when carrying parcels into and out ofthe house. The length of the two arms of the lever E are so proportionedthat the downward movement of the treadle I from an approximatelyhorizontal position to a somewhat dependent position will cause the fullopening of the door.

By sloping the table or plate 61 downward and forward, as previouslymentioned, the front end of the lever E is kept approximately on a linewith the point of attachment of the cord or chain F to the door, so thatsaid front end of the lever E pulls the door open without too much of anangular strain, and at the same time the bracket-arm D is kept out ofthe way of the door.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a door-opener, the combination, with a bracket-arm secured to thecasing above the door and on the side nearest the hinges, of a leverpivoted on said arm, and having a long and a short arm, a cordconnecting the end of the long arm to the door, a draft-cord connectedto the short end of the lever, a pulley at the upper corner of thecasing, around which pulley the draft-cord passes, a treadle at thelower end of the casing and hinged to the same, the draft-cord beingsecured to the said treadle and a spring for closing the door,substantially as described.

2. In a door-opener, the combination, with abracket-arm secured to thecasing above the door and on the side nearest the hinges saidbracket-arm having a plate on its outer end provided with a studprojecting upward, of a lever pivoted on said stud and having along anda short arm, a cord connecting the end of the long arm to the door, adraft-cord connected to the short end of the lever, a pulley at theupper corner of the casin g around which pulley the draft-cord passes, atreadle at the lower end of the casing and hinged to the same, thedraft-cord being secured to the said treadle and a spring for closingthe door, substantially as described.

3. In a door-opener, the combination, with a bracket-arm secured to thecasing above the door and provided with a plate at its outer end slopingdownward and forward and having a stud provided with notches, of a leverpivoted on said stud and having a long and a short arm, a cap mounted onthe upper end of the stud and provided with lugs entering the notches insaid stud, means for holding the cap to the stud, a cord connecting theend of the long arm to the door, a draft-cord connected to the short endof the lever, a pulley at the upper corner of the casing, around whichpulley the draft-cord passes, a treadle at the lower end of the casingand hinged to the same, the draft-cord being secured to the said treadleand a spring for closing the door, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix in y signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE WILEY COUGILL.

\Vitnesses:

W. T. MoKnn, W. F. SHERWOOD.

